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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Thumbs Up Diner - Decatur Georgia

You can find this location of Thumbs Up Diner at 174 W Ponce De Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030 - this is on the down-hill side of the Decatur Square to the west on Ponce. Parking is fairly limited nearby but thank fully Decatur has a fairly fantastic pay-to-park setup with their meters (they'll text you when they're close to running out of time and you can add via your smartphone).

I've eaten at this location of Thumbs Up many times over the years and decided it was time to review - if I'm not mistaken, this is the first Thumbs Up Diner or at any rate, the first I was aware of. It's a bit quirky, from the Googiesque, kitschy interior (which is awesome, by the way - love the slanted ceiling, ball-lights and boomerang formica) to the wait staff, to the we-only-accept-cash policy, there's plenty here to invoke nostalgia.

Over time you'll see many regulars at this location, however it does become uncomfortably busy on the weekends and especially when the weather is nice. Be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait some more. It's best to hit this place during off-hours so you can be seated immediately. Note that while the Diner opens at 7:00 AM during the week it opens slightly later at 8:00 AM during the weekend. Also, it closes at 3:00 PM everyday.

The menu here is your basic Diner style of presentation and food selection - just about anything you would like under the breakfast heading plus sandwiches and salads. My favorites are the French Toast (made with an eggy Challah bread so you get that custardy inside), the buckwheat pancakes and the grits - in fact this is only of only a couple of places in Atlanta where I feel the grits are exceptional.

I'm also a fan of both the coffee (robust, slightly lighter than a dark roast but still full of flavor) and the bacon (tastes like apple-wood smoke to me and sliced on the thicker side). The biscuits here are also very good if you like something made with other than white flower - there seems to be a bit of whole grain in there - actually most of the menu items tend to be on the healthier, better quality side and will cost slightly more. There's also some type of fruit compote or marmalade that appears homemade that you can spread on your biscuit - that's fine, southern eating right there. I think I've tried about a dozen items on the menu and I've always gotten great food and good service.

In all I think you'll like this place - actually I've eaten at three locations and have no complaints other than they get really, really busy.-- John(Also posted to Yelp)